New Puppy Information

Congratulations on the new addition to your family!

Tamborine Mountain, Canungra & Yarrabilba Vet Surgeries’ 10 Step Puppy Care Plan is designed to help you provide your new pup with excellent health care in the coming months and years ahead. This information advice should get your pup off to a great start.

1. Puppy Vaccination Program

Vaccination is essential to protect your puppy against the major infectious and fatal diseases:DISTEMPER, HEPATITIS, PARVOVIRUS, PARAINFLUENZA AND BORDETELLA

Our10 Step Pet Care Planadvises the following vaccinations be given to your new puppy:

3. Heartworm Prevention For Puppies

Heartworm is a potentially fatal disease characterised by large, parasitic worms that can infest the heart. It is a serious disease that can cause heart failure, lung disease, organ damage and death. Heartworm is spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes from dog to dog. Adult heartworms live in the heart and pulmonary arteries. Continuous lifelong prevention is vital.

All dogsare at risk whether they live inside or outside.

Our10 Step Pet Care Planrecommends:Proheart SR12 Heartworm Injection

12 Weeks: Proheart SR12 Heartworm Injection

6-9 months: Proheart SR12 Heartworm Injection (6 months later)

Annually: Proheart SR12 Heartworm injection (from 15 months of age)

A Monthly Product (such as Milbemax or Advocate) can also be used. When using a monthly product, it is essential that you give it religiously every month. Late dosing can lead to a susceptibility window for your pet.

4. Tick Prevention For Puppies

The PARALYSIS TICK kills dogs and cats. It is spread by bandicoots and wallabies. High risk areas include bushland, riverfront, acreage and long grass. Peak Season for ticks is September-January. However, we see clinical cases of tick paralysis all year round.

We recommendALL DOGS in the Gold Coast Hinterland and surrounds are on Tick PreventionALL YEAR.

5. Flea Control and Puppy Skin Care

Queensland is the flea capital of Australia.

A female flea produces up to 50 eggs per day and 2000 in a short lifetime – a rapid population explosion if left unchecked. Adult fleas represent only 5% of the population, 95% existing as eggs and immature fleas in your pet’s home environment.

Over 50% of pets that present for a skin problem to a vet clinic have flea allergy. Fleas are increasingly implicated in the transmission of blood borne disease to both pets and humans.

BALANCE:Provides the correct amount of high quality proteins, carbohydrates, fats and vitamins for your dog’s life-stage and avoids harmful protein, mineral and salt excesses. Antioxidants to promote health and vitality.

HIGHLY DIGESTIBLEnutrients with no fillers. This means that you need to feed less, there is less mess to clean up, less odour and less flatulence. You’ll see the difference if you’ve fed supermarket brands in the past!

SUPERB COAT:High in essential fatty acids to promote a superb coat.

NO Artificial COLOURSunlike many supermarket leaders.

Handy feeding tips for new puppy owners:

CHANGE:If changing from one food type to another, change gradually over 5-10 days.

AMOUNT:Follow the feeding guide on the food and adjust as necessary based on any weight changes. As a rule of thumb leave food down for a maximum of 10 minutes.

MEALS:From 6-12 weeks feed 3 times daily, from 3-6 months twice daily and then once to twice daily.

MILK:After they have been weaned from mum, puppies do not require milk of any form in their diets.

HOME COOKING:Many people are tempted to feed a home cooked diet. In reality, it is extremely difficult to make a home diet that is complete and balanced and provides all of the essential nutrients in the correct relative and absolute amounts. This is why we recommend premium food. If you are feeding any home cooked supplement, this should be < 10% of their diet and the food should be cooked.

8. Puppy Dental Hygiene

Unlike ourselves our dogs can not clean their teeth. Without attention to dental hygiene tartar and plaque will build up and cause dental disease.

Oravet Dental Hygiene Chews: Forms a barrier that prevents bacteria from attaching to teeth reducing buildup of plaque and tartar.

Feeding raw (never cooked) meaty bones or raw chicken wings. If you are feeding raw bones, they should be large enough that they can’t be swallowed (bones that go past the back of the mouth lead to many problems), have no marrow cavity access, have excess fat removed and be disposed of after 24 – 48 hours.

9. Puppy Desexing

If your new dog lives a healthy life this may be the only surgical procedure ever required. Desexing is a major procedure and your puppy deserves the best care.

Our10 Step Pet Care Planrecommends desexing your dog if you do not plan on breeding. Desexing puppies can be performed from 5 months of age.

URBAN MYTHS CORRECTED

Dogs do not need to have a season

Dogs do not need to have a litter

Dogs are not fulfilled by breeding

Dogs do not put on weight because they have been desexed.

Undesexed animals are at greater risk of reproductive organ disease as they age.

Undesexed animals are more likely to escape, roam, fight and cause trouble

Regular exercise, keeping your dog in a fenced yard, walking on lead and Council Registration are all part of responsible dog ownership.

Tamborine Mountain, Canungra and Yarrabilba Veterinary Surgeries advise all new puppies first attend Puppy Preschool from as early as 8 weeks of age and then Obedience Classes from 5 months of age.Click here to read more about Puppy Training at our practices.

Puppy school is a 4-week program held at our clinics.

Bookings are essential as places are limited, get in quick!

Dogs play a key role in our families and relationships. Follow the vet’s 10 step pet care plan and we would expect your new puppy to be a happy and healthy addition to your family for many years to come!